Your Ex, My Ex
by Cheeseburger of Doom
Summary: [SenBe] There's one thing they have in common, at least, even if that one thing just happens to be a former lover that they talk about far too often.


A/N: It doesn't look like it, but I promise this will be SenBe, at least somewhat, anyway. It actually looks like BeKami and then SenKami, but that's all an illusion!

Kamio Akira developed an obsession for Atobe at some point during the last year of junior high. He'd met Atobe during his second year, and the peacock had insulted him -- but after that, he hadn't given the guy a second thought.

It was only when he was a third year when Atobe had started high school that he started thinking about him again, after bumping into him on a crowded street. The guy was stuck-up, rude, and obnoxious, but he was really, really attractive -- and looking at him was enough to make Kamio blush and stutter.

After that day, he'd taken to stalking Atobe Keigo. Of course, he denied that it was stalking. Following him around, and going to his school to see him definitely didn't count as stalking, oh no. Atobe had been amused by his antics at first, and then had grown increasingly annoyed, until he'd been forced to take drastic measures. He cornered Kamio, and told him that if he was so in love, they had better have some kind of affair and get it over with.

Kamio had been rather surprised.

They dated all the while Atobe was in high school. It was surprising to Kamio that Atobe actually stuck with him for that long, since Atobe was the type to put himself above any kind of relationship. The surprise faded when he found out that Atobe had been seeing several other people on the side, probably for the entire time. When he confronted Atobe about it, the stupid guy just shrugged, and told him that he'd never promised to be faithful or anything of the kind. He had suggested an affair, and that was all it was.

Kamio's anger had flared, and his heart had broken. Somewhere along the line, he'd actually learned to care for Atobe. There was actually someone decent underneath that exterior, or at least he'd thought there was. It turned out that there wasn't, in the end.

After that, he never saw Atobe again.

-----

Kamio met Sengoku for the second time in college. Somehow, they had ended up in the same one, and their dorm rooms were just down the hall from each other. They bumped into each other on the third day of Kamio's first year, and Sengoku's second.

Sengoku, predictably, exclaimed about how lucky their meeting was, and hassled Kamio for weeks afterward, until Kamio agreed to go on a date with him.

"I've been thinking about you since that time we played each other," he said. "Come on, just one evening. If you're bored, then we don't have to do it again."

The date consisted of dinner, a movie, and then going to a bar and getting completely and utterly drunk. Kamio never could quite remember what happened after that, but he woke up the next morning in Sengoku's bed with one hell of a hangover.

"You said some pretty interesting things last night," Sengoku told him.

"I bet I did."

"Why did I drink so much?" Kamio moaned. His life was full of regrets. For some reason, though, the fact that he'd been so drunk seemed far worse than the fact that he'd slept with Sengoku.

"I think you've been depressed. I'm going to make it my goal in life to make you feel better." Sengoku winced. "And next time, I won't let either of us drink so much."

Kamio actually laughed at that. He hadn't laughed in quite some time. It felt good.

-----

Sengoku and Kamio broke up when Sengoku finished college.

"You don't love me," Sengoku said. His voice was as cheerful as always, but Kamio knew him well enough to be able to tell that he was not happy.

"What?"

"We've been together a while, and I thought that you might someday, but I don't think that you ever will," Sengoku continued. "I hope you find somebody that you like better."

That was Sengoku's goodbye. Kamio never saw him again after that day.

Kamio's life continued to be filled with regrets, but he found happiness along the way. Sometimes he stopped to wonder about the two people he'd left behind, the two who had been most important to him.

----

Atobe liked being rich, there was no mistake about that. Being a rich businessman was rather boring, however. The aristocratic life had lost some of its charm somewhere along the way. He missed playing tennis, really.

He was probably just bitter because the last of his lovers had decided they didn't feel like being with him anymore. His tendency to see more than one person at once had finally caught up with him, and now he was alone. He did not like that feeling, not one little bit. Atobe Keigo should never have to sleep alone.

The bitterness that was eating his soul that day was probably the cause of his bumping into someone in the crowded streets. He was only walking from the office to his limo, but somehow, he managed to knock someone over in the process.

It reminded him fleetingly of how he'd met Kamio Akira for the second time in his life.

Kamio, one of the first to break up with him because of his bad habits.

"Ah, sorry," said the victim. "I wasn't watching where I was going, I guess."

Atobe was not about to apologize and say that it was his fault, so he just took the man's apology with a nod. He reached out a hand to help him up, though. It was so pathetic for him to be sitting in the gutter.

"You look familiar," said the man, as he brushed himself off. "I think I've seen you somewhere before."

"That's entirely possible. I'm Atobe Keigo." He was only one of the more famous businessmen in Japan.

"Oh, right! The proud peacock! I watched you play tennis when we were in junior high. My name is Sengoku Kiyosumi, I went to Yamabuki."

Atobe thought he might vaguely remember the name. "Ah, I see." He was about to go on his way, but Sengoku was continuing.

"I also dated your ex-boyfriend! Well, one of them, anyway. Kamio Akira. Dear Rhytm-kun was always complaining about you. He said you were a bad kisser."

That stopped Atobe in his tracks. He was not particularly offended by the "bad kisser" statement, since it was certainly not true, and Kamio had obviously needed some way to make himself feel important -- no, he was shocked to hear about Kamio after all this time.

"You dated Kamio?"

"For a couple of years."

"It's a small world." Atobe really wanted to get going, since the limo was waiting after all, but something compelled him to stay here and continue to look at the man with the cheerful smile.

"Did he really complain about me that often?" he asked.

"Oh, all the time. In fact, that was how I figured out that he would never be able to love me, because he was still stuck on you. He didn't get over you before he started up with me, you see."

"So, I suppose you've never forgiven me for traumatizing the love of your life, is that it?" Atobe asked.

"No, I've just always wondered what was so great about you," Sengoku said, with a shrug. The cheerful air was gone. Atobe was looking at someone who was almost as bitter inside as he was, but for very different reasons.

The Atobe of years ago would have replied that he was such a beautiful person that no one could resist him, but his ego had calmed somewhat since then.

"I didn't ask him to fall in love with me." It was the truth. Atobe had never expected Kamio to actually develop feelings for him, nor had he expected Kamio to care that he was seeing several other people. It had surprised him. Then, when Kamio was gone, he had actually missed him, though he would probably never admit that to anyone else.

"No, of course not, but you didn't try to stop him, either?"

"I might have, if I'd known what was happening." Atobe did not like this conversation. He did not like discussing these things with a perfect stranger, no matter what kind of ties they had.

"He told me all about your affairs. Do you still do that kind of thing, or have you settled down yet?"

"I really don't think that's any of your business," Atobe replied, coolly. "If you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to go to."

"Oh, so sorry to keep you." Sengoku stepped aside. "It was nice to have met you, Atobe-san."

"Yes," Atobe said. He did not reply that it was nice to have met Sengoku, because he did not think it was nice at all. He went to his limo, and he promptly tried to forget about Sengoku's existence. It was unlikely that they would ever meet again.

-----

Sengoku had recently taken over the company he belonged to, after his former boss had retired. He met Atobe again at a business meeting.

Sengoku met Atobe's startled expression with a grin.

"I guess it's fate," he said. "I had no idea you were the leader of the company I needed to do business with today."

"Then we're both surprised," Atobe said. "I trust that we will be sticking to business here, and not continue our conversation from last time?"

"Actually, there are a couple of things I wanted to ask you, but they can wait. Would you like to have dinner with me this evening?" Sengoku asked.

Atobe was about to refuse, but then he realized that he really had nothing better to do that evening. The thought irked him. Atobe Keigo, with nothing better to do?

"Dinner would be fine," he replied.

-----

A few glasses of wine later, it was much easier to converse with Atobe, Sengoku reflected. He tended to answer questions much more freely when his tongue was loosened by alcohol, or maybe it was just the atmosphere of the restaurant.

"So, tell me about all the people who took over for Kamio," Sengoku said.

"I haven't got any lovers left," Atobe said. "They all found out about each other, somehow. I suppose they just started talking to one another."

"Ah, I see."

"I always thought that men would be far less spiteful than women, but it turns out that I was wrong."

"Yes."

"You look awfully smug," Atobe said.

"Yes, well, I can't really say that I feel sorry for you. I'm rather glad that you've suffered somewhat," Sengoku said, with a shrug.

"I think that this dinner is over," Atobe said. "I've said too much, and I don't wish to say or hear anymore of this."

"Wait, Atobe-san. I think we should finish the meal, at least. It would be rude not to," Sengoku said. "Besides, this is a good time for us to get to know each other. I'm sure we will be doing business again in the future."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Atobe had not considered that. He had not seen the last of Sengoku, not yet.

"Besides, I like your company. I thought I would hate you, but I really don't. I can see why Kamio fell in love with you, before he found out about your bad habit," Sengoku said.

"Many people have fallen in love with me," Atobe said. He still sounded angry, but he sat back down.

-----

Sengoku and Atobe began to have dinner together regularly. Neither really considered it dating, at least not until they began to do other things together as well. They went to a few movies, although when Sengoku first suggested that Atobe had said it was beyond someone like him. He'd eventually caved in, though. They went out for coffee, or for something stronger (Atobe did adamantly refuse to go to bars, though, and Sengoku couldn't change his mind about that at all), and then eventually they ended up going to each other's houses and making dinner for one another. Atobe was pleasantly surprised to find that Sengoku could manage something much better than TV dinners, and Sengoku, in turn, was pleasantly surprised to find that Atobe did not rely on his personal chef to make all the meals.

They stopped talking about Kamio after a while. Or, rather, Sengoku stopped bringing him up on a regular basis after a while.

There were still two things he really wanted to know, though.

"Did you care about Kamio at all?" he asked. He and Atobe were enjoying a few drinks while lounging and watching a few movies in Atobe's gigantic living room.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I was wondering if you were a decent human being, or if you're really as cold as you seem sometimes."

"I think I must have cared, or I would have forgotten him by now." There was something about Sengoku that made Atobe feel he had to be honest, even if honesty made him sound like a weak fool.

"Good. I have one more question."

"What is it now?"

"Are you really a bad kisser?" Sengoku asked.

Atobe blinked at him, and then a smile spread across his features. "Would you like to find out?"

"Yes, please."

Atobe was, in fact, an amazing kisser, but Sengoku figured that was because he'd had so many lovers. He did not mind that, however, but he decided he would keep a close eye on Atobe for the next while, to make sure that he didn't get any ideas about going back to old habits.

Atobe, in turn, was thinking that maybe this time he would try out being faithful, and see what happened. Maybe having just one lover would be worth it, somehow, if he could keep that lover.

-----

"I wonder what Kamio would think if he knew that his two exes were together," Sengoku reflected in the morning, too early for Atobe's liking.

"Stop thinking about Kamio while in my bed," Atobe growled. He did not appreciate being awakened by his lover talking about another man.

"Oh, sorry. It's kind of a funny thought, though."

"Not really. I'm sure he wouldn't care. Now be quiet, and let me go back to sleep."

"Yes sir, Keigo-chan."

Sengoku was expecting an angry growl at the new nickname, but instead, he was rewarded with a snort of laughter. "You're going to push me too far one of these days," Atobe said.

"I hope so! You're cute when you're angry."

"Go back to sleep already!"

Sengoku threw his arm over Atobe, and then he did just that.

-----


End file.
